Building wall construction with laterally spaced panel members



BUILDING WALL bONSTRUCTION WITH LATERALLY SPACED PANEL MEMBERS Filed Aug. 4, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.]

1N EN 114-1 v TOR B Edmund C. Barbera ATTORNEY Oct. 15, 1968 c, BARBERA 3,405,495

BUILDING WALL CONSTRUCTION WITH LATERALLY SPACED PANEL MEMBERS Filed Aug. 4, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.13 1064 fi IG-2A F L F -sz 28 30 36 2 FIGJZ Oct. 15, 1968 E. c. BARBERA BUILDING WALL CONSTRUCTION WITH LATERALLY SPACEID PANEL MEMBERS 4 Sheets-Shem 5 Filed Aug. 4, 1967 Oct. 15, 1968 E. c. BARBERA BUILDING WALL CONSTRUCTION WITH LATERALLY SPACED PANEL MEMBERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 4. 1967 United States Patent 3,405,495 BUILDING WALL CONSTRUCTION WITH LATER- ALLY SPACE!) PANEL MEMBERS Edmund C. Barbera, 55 Hillandale Road, Port Chester, N.Y. 10573 Filed Aug. 4, 1967, Ser. No. 658,533 Claims. (Cl. 52-562) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A building wall construction that includes a plurality of pairs of laterally spaced panel members arranged in vertically staggered and longitudinally end abutting relation. Each panel member is provided with a connector member extending along and secured to a longitudinal edge thereof. The connector members cooperate in association with spacing members to support pairs of panel members in spaced apart relation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates generally to a building wall construction, and more particularly, to a plurality of pairs of laterally spaced panel members arranged in vertically staggered and longitudinally end abutting relation.

Description of the prior art Heret-ofore, building wall blocks have been proposed which included spaced panels interconnected by some type of spacing structure. The major difficulty and disadvantage of these conventional building blocks reside in the manner by which they are made and interconnected. For example, it is customary to have the spacing structure inserted directly into the respective panels. This has not provided a practical and operative interconnecting arrangement and has resulted in making these conventional building blocks heavy, complicated and expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, the assembly of these conventional building blocks is practically prohibitive due to its weight and the multiple manual assembly operations involved, such as screwing, clamping and the like.

The present invention eliminates the above difliculties and disadvantages by providing a connector member extending along and secured to a longitudinal edge of each panel. The connector member cooperates in association with a spacing structure to support a pair of panels in spaced apart relation,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The building wall construction of the present invention includes a plurality of pairs of laterally spaced panel members arranged in vertically staggered and longitudinally end abutting relation. Each panel member is provided with a connector member extending along and secured to a longitudinal edge thereof. Each connector member has a pair of laterally related grooves extending along its free longitudinal edge, with said grooves opening in oppositely extending vertical directions. A spacer member is provided for interconnecting spaced panel members whereby the opposite ends of said spacer member each terminate in upwardly and downwardly extending tongue portions. The arrangement is such that the free ends of the upwardly extending tongue portions span the joint between an end abutting pair of panel members and are received within the respective adjacent portions of the downward opening grooves of said pairs of panel members. The free ends of the downwardly extending tongue portions are disposed adjacent the lower inner marginal surface portions of said pairs of panel memebers, whereby the free ends of said downwardly extending tongue portions and the free longitudinal edges of said panel members are received within the upwardly opening groove portion of the connector members associated with the pair of panel members immediately below and adjacent thereto.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a building wall construction comprising a plurality of pairs of laterally spaced panel members which cooperate with spacing members to positively lock the spaced panel members in vertically staggered and end abutting relation to provide a sturdy competitive article of manufacture.

Another object and feature of this invention is to provide a building wall construction wherein a pair of panel members are kept accurately spaced and firmly supported.

A further object and feature of this invention is to provide a building wall construction wherein the individual components are economical to manufacture and easy to assemble.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the panel member constructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken through line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is an enlarged modification of a portion of the panel member shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a partial elevational view of the reverse side of the panel member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial elevational view of one end portion of the panel member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the panel element shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a topplan view of the spacer member constructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken through line 77 of FIG. 6-;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the spacer member shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the spacer member shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the sleeve member con structed according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken through line 1111 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a building wall constructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 12A is an enlarged partial view of a portion of the wall construction shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of a building wall constructed according to the present invention, the panel members being arranged to form 90 corners;

FIG. 14 is a partial rear elevational view, with parts in section, showing multiple courses of the panel members in their associated relation; and

FIG. 15 is a front elevational view thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 5, numeral represents a panel member constructed in accordance with the present invention. Panel member 10 comprises a substantially rectangular panel element 12, preferably formed of a frangible cementitious composition, and an elongated connector member 14 which extends along and is secured to a longitudinal edge of panel element 12. In the preferred embodiment, panel element 12 has a 2 x inch cross section and extends for a longitudinal length of 24 inches. It will be appreciated, however, that these dimensions are purely illustrative and are not to be interpreted as being limitations on the present invention. Similarly, panel member 12 can be formed of other materials, such as wood, metal, plastic or the like.

Panel element 12 has a flat face 16 which is finished embossed, raised or provided with other finished designs. The reverse or inner surface of panel element 12 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves 18, as shown in FIG. 3. Grooves 18 serve as a roughening surface to which is secured sheet material 20 which serves to resist breakage of panel element 12. In the preferred embodiment, sheet material 20 comprises a woven cotton fabric which is bonded to the roughened surface by means of a sodium silicate solution. Panel element 12 is further provided with oppositely disposed recessed end edge portions 22 which serve to secure the panel element with adjacent like panel elements in a manner hereinafter described. The side edge portions of panel element 12 are also recessed, as shown in FIG. 5, to provide longitudinally extending tongues 24 which serve to interconnect the panel element with connector member 14 and similar panel members 10 arranged immediately below and adjacent thereto.

The manner of interconnecting panel element 12 with connector member 14 is shown in FIG. 2. Connector member 14 is preferably extruded from aluminum and is provided with a channel or groove 26 extending longitudinally along one edge, and a pair of laterally related channels or grooves 28, 30 extending longitudinally along its other edge, said last mentioned grooves 28, 30 open-ing in oppositely extending vertical directions. Accordingly, it is now apparent that co-acting means are provided whereby the upper tongue 24 of panel element 12 is received within groove 26 of connector member 14. In the preferred embodiment, it is contemplated that panel member 10 will be supplied by the manufacturer in an assembled state. In this connection, panel element 12 is secured within groove 26 by means of a water insoluble mortar composition which, when used, will not efiloresce or chip.

Referring to FIG. 2, connector member 14 is shown as having a substantially H-cross section to provide vertical alignment between grooves 26 and 28. One edge of groove 28 is outwardly turned over to provide groove 30, said last mentioned groove 30 having a transverse dimension substantially less than groove 28. Grooves 28, 30 serve to support and interconnect panel member 10 with adjacent like and laterally spaced panel members, respectively, in a manner hereinafter described.

In FIG. 2A, there is shown an enlarged modification of a portion of the panel member shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the panel element 12 is further provided with a longitudinally extending groove 23 on one face thereof, which is formed adjacent the tongue portion 24. In cooperation with groove 23, there is provided on connector member 14 a longitudinally extending and projecting locking portion 25 which is receivable with groove 23. The arrangement is such that panel element 12 can now be slid edgewise into connector member 14, thus eliminating the need of the mortar composition referred to above. It will be appreciated that the opposite end of panel element 12 is similarly provided with a groove 23 to interconnect with and be locked within the connector member located immediately below and adjacent thereto.

A pair of panel members 10 are connected together in laterally spaced relation by means of a spacer member 32 which is shown in FIGS. 6 through 9. Spacer member 32 is generally rectangular in shape and preferably stamped out of steel. It is provided with a series of longitudinally and vertically extending knurls 34 which serve as stiffeners for the member and which have a generally V-cross section, as shown in FIG. 7. There is also provided one or more openings 36 through which may pass house pipes, wiring and conduits of various characters, or reinforcing stringers as the case may be. The spacer member is provided with tongue portions 38 and 40 extending upwardly and downwardly, respectively, from opposite ends thereof; each tongue portion 40 comprising a pair of laterally spaced portions 42 and 44 connected together by a cross portion 43, as shown in FIG. 9. Tongue portions 38, 40 serve to interconnect a pair of laterally spaced panel members 10 to form the novel building wall construction.

Spacer member 32 is preferably constructed in 8 inch or 12 inch lengths. However, the spacer member can be used in association with a sleeve member 46 to thus provide a spacer member having an expansible length. Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, sleeve 46 is similarly constructed of steel and has its side edges turned over to provide channels or grooves 48 and 50. The turned over sides are also provided with knurls 52 which cooperate with the knurls 34 of spacer member 32 when in use. Accordingly, in using spacer member 32 the sleeve 46 together, it is merely necessary to cut the spacer member in half along a line transverse to its longitudinal axis. Thereafter, it will be appreciated that the two pieces of the spacer member can be slid into sleeve 46 from opposite end directions whereby the side marginal surface portions of the divided spacer member telescope within grooves 48, 50 of sleeve 46. Sleeve 46 is further provided with a centrally located elongated opening 54 which serves the same function as opening 36 in spacer member 32, heretofore described.

In assembling a wall according to the present invention, a plurality of pairs of laterally spaced panel members 10 are arranged and interconnected in vertical relation, as shown in FIG. 12. The completed wall has air space between the panel members and thereby very effectively insulates the structure. No heavy structural fill is provided or necessary in the wall since the spacer memher is sufficiently sturdy to maintain the panels in proper relationship. Referring to FIG. 12, it can be seen that the free ends of the upwardly extending tongue portions 38 of spacer 32 are received within a portion of the respective adjacent downwardly opening grooves 30 of connector members 14-. With the spacer member thus positioned, the free ends of its downwardly extending tongue portions 40 are disposed adjacent the lower inner marginal surface portions of the pair of panel members. It thus becomes apparent that the free ends of tongue portions 40, together with the lower tongues 24 of panel elements 12, are received within the upwardly opening grooves 28 of the connector members 14 associated with the pair of panel members immediately below and adjacent thereto. It further becomes apparent that groove 28 has a transverse dimension slightly greater than groove 26 to receive the free ends of tongue portions 40.

To insure that the wall will rest evenly on a supporting surface, the lowermost pair of spaced panel members are received within connector members 14', the orientation of which is inverted as shown in FIG. 12. Accordingly, the downwardly extending tongue portions 40 of the spacer member associated with said lowermost panel members are received within the now upwardly extending grooves 30 of the respective connector members 14'.

The wall can also be constructed to form a curved or arch portion, as shown in FIG. 12. In this connection, curved tie rods 56 which assist in keeping the spaced panel members in proper relationship, replace the spacer member in the region of curvature. The tie rods pass through openings 36 in the respective spacer members located immediately above and below the region of curvature and are secured by means of threaded fasteners 58.

The building construction described is not only useful for building walls but may be used for floors and partitions as well. In FIG. 13, the panel members are arranged to form 90 corners wherein the end edges of said members are received within respective grooves in corner members 60. Reinforcing brackets 62 can also be employed at the corner joints for added support; said brackets 62 having legs 64 which engage with the connector members of the respective panels in a manner heretofore described with respect to spacer member 32. It will thus be appreciated that the panel members can be used to form enclosures for foundation and pilaster constructions. For example, the spaced panels can be assembled to the desired height of the foundation whereby the spaces between said panels can be filled with concrete; thus eliminating the necessity for building forms which have to be removed after a concrete foundation has been poured. In this connection, tie rods can also be provided for keeping the spaced panel members in proper relation, whereby the lower ends of said tie rods extend into and beyond the foundation and are secured within the supporting surface.

FIG. 14 shows an inner surface of the wall construction wherein the panel members are arranged in the vertically staggered and longitudinally end abutting relation which is common to brick wall assemblies. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention, the free end of the upwardly extending tongue portion 38 of spacer member 32 is located to span the joint between an end abutting pair of panel members 10, and is received within the respective adjacent portions of the downwardly opening grooves 30 of connector members 14. Accordingly, the free ends of the downwardly extending tongue portion 40 of spacer member 32 are respectively disposed adjacent the lower inner marginal surface portions of the pair of panel members. Tongue portion 40, together with the lower tongues of panel elements 12, are received within the upwardly opening groove 28 of the connector member 14 associated with the panel member immediately below and adjacent thereto.

The outer surface of the wall construction is shown in FIG. 15. Upon assembling the panel members in longitudinally end abutting relation, it is preferable to span the joint between said end abutting panel members with a mortar composition 66; said mortar filling the recessed end edge portions 22 of panel elements 12. The mortar serves to firmly connect the adjacent panels and prevents the joint from being exposed to unfavorable weather conditions. If desired, the outer surface of connector member 14 can also be roughened, such as shown by numeral 68 (FIG. 2), and motor applied thereon.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be readily understood and appreciated that various changes or modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a building wall construction having a plurality of pans of laterally spaced panel members arranged in vertically staggered relation, each pair of laterally spaced panel members comprising:

(a) a pair of laterally spaced panel elements;

(b) an elongated connector member extending along and secured to a longitudinal edge of each panel element;

(0) each connector member having a pair of laterally related grooves extending along its free longitudinal edge, said grooves opening in oppositely extending vertical directions wherein the upwardly opening groove is in substantial vertical alignment with the longitudinal edge of its associated panel element, one edge of said upwardly opening groove having an outwardly turned over portion to provide the downwardly opening groove of said pair of laterally related grooves; and

(d) spacer means extending between and interconnecting the pair of panel elements;

(e) said spacer means having a first tongue portion extending upwardly from opposite ends thereof, the free ends of the first tongue portions being received within the respective downwardly opening groove portion of the connectors members associated with said pair of panel elements;

(f) said spacer means further having a second tongue portion extending downwardly from opposite ends thereof, the free ends of the second tongue portions being disposed adjacent the lower inner marginal surface portions of said pair of panel elements; the free ends of the second tongue portions and the free longitudinal edges of said pair of panel elements being received within the respective upwardly opening groove portion of the connector members associated with the pair of panel elements immediately below and adjacent thereto.

2. The building wall construction as recited in claim 1, wherein said spacer means extends between and interconnects two pairs of panel members arranged in longitudinally end abutting relation, the free end of each upwardly extending tongue portion spanning the joint between and end abutting pair of panel members and being received within the respective adjacent portions of the downwardly opening grooves of said pairs of panel members.

3. In a building wall construction having vertically related pairs of laterally spaced panel members, each pair of panel members comprising:

(a) a pair of laterally spaced panel elements;

(b) an elongated connector member extending along one longitudinal edge of each panel element;

(c) spacer means extending between a first pair of laterally spaced panel elements;

(d) said spacer means having first and second pairs of oppositely extending tongue portions;

(e) means on the connector members of said first pair of panel elements for respectively engaging selected tongue portions of the first and second pairs of oppositely extending tongue portions; and

(f) means on the connector members of a second pair of panel elements immediately below and adjacent said first pair of panel elements for respectively engaging the free longitudinal edges of said first pair of panel elements and the other tongue portions of the first and second pairs of oppositely extending tongue portions.

4. The building wall construction as recited in claim 3, wherein the free ends of the other tongue portions are disposed adjacent the lower inner marginal surface portions of said first pair of panel elements.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Harp 52-715 Tengstedt.

Olsen 52-481 X West 52-308 Hohl 52-477 Lefebure 52746 Wright 52-486 Brenneman et a1.

Waller 52-495 X Keller 52495 X Angelini.

Kay.

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED C. PERI-1AM, Assistant Examiner. 

